B2B Stories

B2B Stories

Augusta business owner speaks to 2500 for OSHA conference

Bill Foster’s helped manufacturers, safety managers, and HR managers stay safe and compliant with OSHA rules for more than 40 years. Last week, the Impact Safety President led a virtual conference for 2500 people from his training center in West Augusta on Augusta West Parkway. OSHA coordinated the webinar from its National Network of OSHA Training Institute Education Centers in San Diego and at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Foster spoke about permits required for confined spaces and emergency rescue plans. Confined spaces are critically important in terms of safety because

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B2B Stories

Bringing together the best minds and best practices

A summit scheduled for later this month is an opportunity for Metro Augusta business leaders, employees, and interested individuals to learn successful techniques from experts. The Power of You summit is set for Tuesday, Oct. 28th, in the fellowship hall at First Baptist Church of Augusta. This is the second year Richardson Professional Solutions (RPS) has sponsored this event. RPS President and CEO Amy Richardson told ABD as a business owner and member of Business Network International (BNI), she has had the opportunity to travel to conferences across the country.

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B2B Stories

And Now for Some Good News!

The future is bright after all for the Augusta area workforce and young men specifically. My column last week on the struggles of young men in America was probably as saddening for many of you as it was for me. I have always seen this country as a land of great opportunity, and the plight of young men chronicled last week put some doubt in my mind for the first time.  However, I am fortunate to teach in Augusta University’s (AU) Hull College of Business (HCoB), so as I interact

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B2B Stories

Enormous impact of tree loss from Helene

A student at Augusta University (AU) is taking a deeper look at the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on the Summerville campus and the implications of tree loss for the future. Austin Plagens, an undergraduate honor student, realized there had been a dramatic shift in the appearance of the campus following the hurricane. He also realized the magnitude of the loss needed to be better documented. He’s cataloging the changes for his honor’s thesis. Since the storm, Plagens has walked the campus, creating an inventory of every missing tree, its type,

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B2B Stories

Progress on $184 million business development

A building that will house 350 new jobs is taking shape in the Augusta Corporate Park off Mike Padgett Highway. GF Casting Solutions will produce lightweight components made from aluminum, iron, and other metals for the mobility and energy industries. Situated across Valencia Way from Aurubis Richmond, LLC, GF Casting will be the third major employer to open in the park, along with Starbucks. The 1,800-acre park in South Augusta is essentially full, with one more site being prepared for future use. “The site at the end (of Valencia Way),

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B2B Stories

Rocking a $25,000 grant

Aiken Technical College has been selected for the third year in a row for the prestigious Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI). The $25,000 grant provides scholarships and student support for those enrolled in the college’s cybersecurity, computer technology, and CompTIA programs. Since 2023, Aiken Tech has been able to impact more than 200 students thanks to funding from MSI. “Thanks to the generous support and dynamic partnership of MSI, we successfully launched our inaugural Cyber Power Camp this summer, that provided middle and high school students with hands-on experience and insight

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: Finally, some good news on the employment front

After three consecutive months of job losses, employment rose by 800 in August from July. July’s number was revised upwards by 1,100, although it was still lower than June. Professional and Business services saw the largest increase in employment in August, at over 550. Manufacturing also saw a small increase, and manufacturing employment is the highest since November 2024 at 24,085. The government sector saw large employment losses in August across all three levels of government. Federal employment fell by 200 and has fallen by 500, or 6%, since February,

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B2B Stories

Business Showcase: ADP’s up on Thursday

From time to time, AU’s Hull College of Business brings in leaders from area companies called the “Business Showcase”. This Thursday, it’s ADP’s turn. The Dean of the School shares how it works and how business students use this as a launching point. “The employer typically brings anywhere from three to five people from their company. You know, the ideal scenario is they bring somebody that’s one or two years out from college, maybe an HR manager, and then maybe more of a senior executive. So, they provide the students

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B2B Stories

Augusta Regional targets Midwest for new flight

Augusta Regional Airport leaders remain focused on bringing a third carrier to the Garden City and with that, service to the Windy City. Members of the Airline Service Committee of the Aviation Commission were updated by Airport Executive Director Herbert Judon, Jr. A highlight of his presentation was a plan to seek a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). The Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP) is designed to help smaller communities address air service and airfare issues. He said this is the same grant the airport

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B2B Stories

Business Showcase on ADP

On Thursday, October 2, the regular business spotlight program at Hull will focus on a leading HR and payroll company, ADP. It’s an opportunity for students desiring a career in that field to learn more and network with professionals. Learn more here.

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